p53-dependent global genomic repair of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide adducts in human cells.

The global genomic repair of DNA adducts formed by the human carcinogen (+/-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) has been studied by 32P-postlabeling in human fibroblasts in which p53 expression can be regulated. At low BPDE adduct levels (10-50 adducts/10(8) nucleotides), repair was rapid and essentially complete within 24 h in p53+ cells, whereas no repair was detected within 72 h in similarly treated p53- cells. At 10-fold higher BPDE adduct levels, repair under both conditions was rapid up to 8 h, after which a low level of adducts persisted only in p53- cells. These results demonstrate a dependence on p53 for the efficient repair of BPDE adducts at levels that are relevant to human environmental exposure and, thus, have significant implications for human carcinogenesis.